Complete Japanese Adjective Guide: Learn the Japanese Vocabulary and Grammar You Need to Learn Japanese and Master the JLPT Test

Summary

This is a useful and user–friendly Japanese adjective guide and workbook.

To effectively learn Japanese, a strong knowledge of Japanese vocabulary is needed. The complete Japanese Adjective Guide is a simple approach to understanding Japanese grammar and syntax, methodically leading students through the intricacies of adjective use. Exercises build mastery and confidence as grammar topics are introduced. Regular and "na" adjectives are discussed in separate sections to allow beginning students to clarify differences. Vocabulary is kept to a minimum, with a concentration on the fundamental patterns of adjective use—what works with one adjective will work with another like it—and beginning Japanese language students with limited vocabulary will be able to do the exercises without the distraction of constantly looking up new words.

An invaluable workbook for any student of introductory Japanese, The Complete Japanese Adjective Guide is written so the reader can master adjectives, which in turn will help distinguishing desu forms and verbs. Lessons are incremental, with easy–to–follow explanations for independent study—gradually working up to the more difficult patterns, and include many memory drills to afford the opportunity to thoroughly master the topic at hand. This volume also includes a convenient glossary of nouns. Highlights of this book are:
Clear explanations of every adjective formation.
Comprehensive exercises and drills.
Completely romanized for ease of use.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from Tuttle Publishing.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Tarumoto, Ann.

The complete Japanese adjective guide / by Ann Tarumoto.-1st ed.

p. cm.

ISBN 0-8048-3276-5 (pbk.); ISBN 978-1-4629-1754-9 (ebook)

1. Japanese language-Adjective. I. Title.

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Contents

For my parents,

Joe and Kay Imai

Introductory Notes

Keep these two points in mind as you work in this book:

GAMBARE!

Part I

Adjectives

1. Adjectives

An adjective is a describing word. To qualify as an adjective in Japanese, a word must end in one of the following sounds: ai, oi, ui, ii. In Japanese, a word that does not end in one of these sounds is not an adjective and therefore cannot be treated as an adjective, even if it is a describing word.

Memorize this list of adjectives for the exercises to follow.

Write the antonym of each adjective:

What would be an appropriate adjective to describe the following?

2. Adjectives Modifying Nouns

In Japanese, as in English, an adjective often modifies or describes a noun. Like English, when an adjective modifies a noun, it precedes the noun directly, without an intervening particle.

Example: omoshiroi hon = an interesting book

Describe the word kuruma (car) with the adjective indicated.

Try expressing the following phrases. Look up the nouns you don’t know in the glossary:

By adding desu or one of its forms after the noun you can make a simple sentence. The forms of desu are:

Try these in Japanese:

3. When Adjectives are Used in the Predicate

The adjectives listed in the beginning of this workbook are in what is known as their dictionary form. Adjectives in their dictionary form are complete sentences. The addition of desu to the end of an adjective will make the sentence more polite. However, it will not change the meaning of the sentence, and it will not make the sentence more grammatically correct.

The following sentences are in what could be called the non-past tense. This means that the tense Of the sentence can be either present or future but not the past. Therefore:

Rajio ga ii. / Rajio ga ii desu. = The radio is good. / The radio will be good.

How would you say these sentences more politely?

Tell your teacher (politely) that:

Tell a good friend (no need to be polite!) that:

Fill in the missing syllables in these adjectives:

Adjectives in a Negative Predicate (Non-Past)

When you want to express a sentence such as, The dog is not big, the adjective in Japanese appears in the predicate of the sentence. It is also in its negative form. To inflect an adjective to its negative form in the non-past tense, drop the last i and add -ku arimasen.

Samuku arimasen is the most formal way of expressing the idea, It is not cold.

The only exception to this rule is ii (good). Remember that ii is inflected from yoi. Therefore, ii desu means it is good while yoku arimasen means it is not good.

Inflect these adjectives to their formal, negative, non-past forms:

Answer no to all these questions using the negative form of the adjective:

Compose the following sentences using the negative, formal non-past form of the appropriate adjective. Keep in mind that subject pronouns such as I, you, he, she, it, and they need not be translated in Japanese. Although there is no word for the in Japanese, you may use the word sono where the appears.